Similar
by dochar ar bith ann
Summary: oneshot. After the movie, Gillcentric. Peach always could read him like a book.


Hi, all! This is my first Nemofic; it's a little oneshot that centers around Gill, set after the events of _Finding Nemo_ but not after the epilogue. Gill is my all-time favourite character, and I love imagining his life up till now.

Disclaimer: I don't own. Truly I don't.

Enjoy!

Similar

Gill watched the harbour though the window through solemn crimson eyes.

The tank was silent. Night had fallen, and the rest of the gang were all asleep. Which left him free to think.

He wondered if Nemo had really found his father. After a meeting with Nigel, which had involved an awkward misunderstanding and then a very neccesary explanation, he'd discovered that Nemo's father had headed home, thinking his son dead. Though he had no way of knowing, Gill felt sure they'd found each other. Surely life would not be so cruel.

_Then again, it has before,_ he thought moodily, remembering. The very thought made his scars twinge, and he tried to thrust the memories from his mind.

Sighing, he sank to the bottom of the tank, where he could rest his bad fin. He would never have done this in front of the gang; he hated showing weakness to them. Admittedly, it wasn't always possible to hide, but he did his best.

The last of the colour from the sunset was fading from the waves. He touched his left fin to the glass. Idiot bravado, that was it. It was his idiot bravado that had cost him the ocean- his own arrogance, not cruel fate, that had led him to get too close to the divers. Nobody had made him do it.

It was the same with his fin. The others- it had been just him, Peach, Jaques and Bloat back then- had warned him, but he'd gone and shot himself out of that goddam volcano, and that had cost him not only half his fin but half his dignity as well.

And his newest mistake? Idiot barvado, yet again. It was his worst mistake, that he knew. He'd nearly gotten Nemo killed. Gill didn't think he'd ever forget the terrified yelps of "Help me!" as the innocent little child was pulled back into the fan.

His gaze shifted from the waters outside to his own scarred reflection, and he stared at it for several seconds before shaking his head and looking away. _Forget about it. I got him out; that's all that matters._

Yes, he had gotten him out. It had possibly been the best feeling he'd ever experienced- knowing he'd saved that clownfish from a horrible death, and maybe even reunited him with his father.

Although it had made him wonder. Why did the fate of one child mattered so much to him? He'd found that he cared more about that boy than about what happened to him or any of the others. And he wasn't sure why. True, he'd been impressed from the start, and over the next few days he'd come to realize that, much to his own horror, he liked kids. But that didn't account for the importance he'd placed on saving him.

He scowled. He knew the answer to his question, he could feel it. Somewhere in his subconcious, he knew. But the answer was just beyond his reach.

"Gill?"

The voice of Peach jerked him out of his daze. He clumsily whirled around, lifting himself up from the tank bottom.

Peach was hanging from the glass wall to his right, just far enough back to have been out of his line of vision. "How come you're up?" she asked, concern in her melodious voice.

"Mm. Can't sleep."

"Watcha thinking about?" she asked mildly.

Gill sighed again. "Oh, nothin'. Just wondering. Do you think Sharkbait ever found his Dad?"

"I don't know. I hope so," she replied carefully, "You really care about him, don't you?"

Dammit, Peach. She always could hit the nail on the head, couldn't she? She'd been the only one here when he'd first arrived (If 'arrived' was the word to use) in the tank. The others had followed soon after, but he and Peach had always had a special bond. It had been her who had watched over him, concerned, when he'd lost his fin, and only her who'd ever seen him drop his stoic sheilds. She was the only one who could read him like a book.

"Yeah, I do," he said at long last.

"You know, you two are a lot alike," she pointed out, thoughtful.

Gill scowled. "Yes, Peach, we get it. The fin thing. Very funny. I'm laughing my head off, in fact."

She wasn't taken aback by his sudden bitterness. "I'm not talking about your fins. Just think about it; you're both from the ocean, you're both very brave-"

"I didn't come here to have my ego boosted, Peach."

"I'm serious. You've both risked your lives to save your friends, and you both have someone waiting for you out in the ocean..."

He cut her off again. "Look, I've made this clear; there is _no-one _waiting for me!" The words came out with more harshness than he'd anticipated, an angry bark that convinced no-one but himself.

She was unfazed. "You may have given up hope; doesn't mean I have to. Just because Nigel never told you any great rescue tales about Neta, doesn't mean she isn't waiting."

"I do _not _want to talk about Neta, Peach! It's too late!" He was angry now, his own bitterness and crushed hopes gushing out in the form of white-hot rage.

"No. You never did, did you? All you ever wanted to do was go off and sulk in your skull and plot ways to get yourself out of here. Back to her. Face it, Gill, you miss her. Just like Sharkbait missed his Dad." She glared meaningfully

Shocked, Gill stared at his sister-starfish for a long moment, his dark eyes wide. Then he suddenly turned away, swimming to the opposite side of the tank, where Peach couldn't follow.

She was right. And he couldn't take it.

_Fin_

-------------------------------------------------------------

Well, what did you think of that? Please review!

I love you all!

Till My Head Falls Off


End file.
